William Lawrence Elliott

William (Bill) Lawrence Elliott, 92, formerly residing in Salida, CO passed away Wednesday January 4, 2018 in Fort Worth, TX. William was born in Novelty County, MO on August 9, 1925 and was raised by parents Lawrence and Hazel Elliott in Akron, CO until his enlistment in the U.S. Navy in 1943. Bill served 2 years in the South Pacific during WWII rising to the rank of Electricians Mate Second Class.

Bill married Ruth Ann Gielenz of Otis, CO on January 4, 1948. Bill’s passing would have been the 70th anniversary of this union. Together Bill and Ruth raised 3 children Lawrence Arthur Elliott of Fort Worth, TX; Steven Paul Elliott of Battleground, WA; and Peggy Ruth Elliott Long of Silverthorne, CO. Bill and Ruth settled initially in Denver where they extensively remodeled and expanded their first house to accommodate a growing family. Later they built a new house on 10 acres near Brighton, CO in 1962. After retirement Bill and Ruth built their permanent home in Salida in 1990. Bill was an avid wood worker building houses or furniture. Bill and Ruth were avid outdoors people spending many years hunting and fishing most areas of the western United States.

After discharge from the Navy, Bill was employed by Public Service Company of Colorado rising to position of electric power plant shift supervisor. After several years of intensive classroom training at a pilot High Temperature Gas Cooled Reactor (HTGR) nuclear power plant in Peachbottom, MD and Gulf Atomic facility in Point Loma, CA, Bill rose to the position of Superintendent of Operations at Fort St. Vrain Generation Station in Johnstown CO, the most innovative Nuclear Power Plant ever built. He also was the first person in Colorado to be accorded the title “Registered Professional Engineer” who did not have the benefit of a formal engineering college education. He later served as Construction Manager of three major plants in eastern Colorado followed by Construction Superintendent at several power plants including the innovative Geothermal plant at Winnemucca, NV and refueling/ maintenance operations at Diablo Canyon Nuclear Generating station in California.

Bill and Ruth made several vacation trips to Panama, Australia and their favorite Tahiti. During retirement Bill and Ruth spent many years in their RV trailer and beloved Brittany Spaniel dogs hunting quail from September in North Dakota while staying slightly ahead of winter storms until February in New Mexico when hunting season closed where they returned home to Salida, CO. This annual trek ended when Ruth entered long term health care in 2005 until her death on January 29, 2009. Bill remained in Salida until December 2016. Bill and Ruth are survived by their 3 children, 9 grandchildren, and 18 great grandchildren; brother George Elliott of Ledyard, CT and Maxine Elliott Niewald of Owensville, MO.

Internment services with Military Honors for Bill and Ruth will be held at the Burdette Cemetery north of Otis, CO at future date. Bowin Funeral Services of Akron, CO will assist.